A POPULAR coffee shop in Cardiff city centre will soon start selling craft beer and wine after getting an alcohol licence.

Corner Coffee, on the corner of the High Street and the High Street Arcade, can now sell alcohol on and off the premises.

Cardiff council granted the coffee shop a premises licence on Friday, August 6.

South Wales Police objected to the licensing application over fears any new business selling alcohol in the city centre could increase the amount of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Laura McDonald, co-owner of Corner Coffee, told councillors on the licensing sub-committee she took over the coffee shop with her business partner two years ago. Previously closing at 5pm, Corner Coffee can now start offering “early evening quality beers and quality wines”.

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She said: “We’re closing up and shutting the shop when the sun is still on our furniture, so we’re taking away the tables and chairs when we’re the only place on the street that still has sunshine, when we could be doing some early evening beers in the sun.

“In the daytime we focus on high quality coffee, and in the evenings we would like to emulate that in the products we would sell, focusing on quality beers and quality wines, and that would influence the sort of groups we would attract.

“We would be hoping to have couples that are maybe having a drink before they go for a meal in Pasture or the Botanist, or maybe people who are having a drink on their way home from work. We’re looking to create a very chilled environment and relaxed atmosphere.

“We’re not trying to attract rowdy groups of boys or anything like that. We’re only going to be table service, so it wouldn’t be anybody coming up to the bar ordering a round of shots, it’s going to be very chilled. We think it would add to our business and to the street as well.”

However the coffee shop faced obstacles in getting a licence from the police, as it is in the city centre ‘cumulative impact area’. PC Tony Bowley told councillors “we already have enough bars” in the city centre and any more could increase alcohol-related crime.

He said: “There is a disproportionate amount of crime, disorder and nuisance associated with alcohol in the city centre and the addition of a further outlet will add to the problems caused by alcohol in the city centre.

“The application is for a bar, and … we have already got enough bars. The applicants are clearly well meaning but we can’t look at how well meaning and well run and high end a premises is. What we have to look at is what the application is, and it’s for a bar.”

Despite the objections from the police, the council granted the premises licence.

Councillor Bob Derbyshire said: “We feel the proposals within the application do not have the potential to undermine the licensing objectives “